STORMS HALL AND KNAPP HALL
DEMOLITION

Implosion is a safe and effective means of razing a structure via the use of
explosives on pre-determined structural members. This demolition technique has
been successfully utilized for the last half century.
There are several steps to performing an implosion:
1. Key structural supports are identified and exposed by removing interior,
non-load bearing walls and piping. This process will take several weeks to
complete.
2. Small diameter holes will be drilled at specific locations to act as
explosive receptacles. Explosives are then placed inside the structural
members, equipped with internal non-electric timing devices that will fire on
queue. Once these ‘charges' have been placed they will be covered to prevent
fly of debris.
3. Final wiring will not take place until the morning of the implosion. Both
towers will be imploded simultaneously and the implosion will cause the
interior structure of each tower to rotate outward and away from the Commons
food service facility. One tower will collapse to the east and the other to the
west.

The implosion demolition industry has a successful record of bringing buildings
down in close proximity to other structures. In many projects, the buildings
demolished are located very close to structures, which are to remain. In our
project, we are in excess of 200-feet from the closest privately owned
structure, which provides ample distance to reduce the risk of damage to
adjacent properties. The closest structure is the University owned Storms/Knapp
Commons building operated by Dining Services.

Similar Project Example:
Eliot Residence Hall, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
13-story residence hall, imploded in June 2003.
The University demolished an identical residence hall building earlier using
wrecking ball demolition, which took 3 months. They subsequently switched
demolition methods to implosion for the Eliot Hall demolition. Private homes
were located directly across from the project site about 200-feet from Eliot
Hall. An adjacent University building located approx. 40-foot away remained in
place.

The most noticeable effect in a residential area adjacent to a building
demolition location is dust. Dust is an unpreventable byproduct of all types of
demolition. Depending on wind speed and direction on the day of the implosion,
the dust may or may not reach your properties. PCI has been removing the
majority of dust producing elements from the building (i.e. drywall, plaster,
ceramic tile, etc.) in preparation of the implosion so we can reduce dust
generation as much as possible.

In our planning, design, and construction phases
of this project safety for everyone involved with the project including the
neighborhood residents and the properties, University owned structures, and the
construction workers is our #1 priority. Only the 36 properties located within
300 feet of the Towers property line will need to be vacated. This area is
designated as an Exclusion Zone. Residents will be asked to vacate homes in
this zone by 8:00 am on the morning of the implosion event. After the
implosion, residents located in these properties will be able to return to
their homes or apartments as soon as the utility companies have completed their
inspections, the City of Ames has determined that any unsafe conditions have
been removed, and the streets and sidewalks have been adequately cleaned. This
total time period could be as short as 2-1/2 hours but should not be more than
6 hours after the implosion. We will work to reopen the area as soon as
possible after the demolition so you can return to your homes.

No. The closest home is located over two hundred
feet from the nearest portion of the Towers buildings to be imploded. In many
implosions, it is common for adjacent properties and streets to be located only
10 to 20 feet from the structure being imploded. The majority of implosions
occur in major metropolitan areas with other structures in relatively close
proximity and are completed successfully without damage.

Videotaping of properties immediately adjacent to the project site will be made
by our documentation specialist. The demolition contractor will also make their
own recordings for their documentation. The videotaping will record the visible
condition of the property, structures, trees and plantings, and any site
improvements. We anticipate the video recording to be done for properties along
Hayward Avenue, Storms Street, and Welch Road that are adjacent to the north
end of the project site. Videotaping will be done from the sidewalk or
street. Peterson Construction Inc. may be contacting home and property
owners in those buildings immediately adjacent to the site for additional
documentation of the properties.

If you live in the Exclusion Zone and you have an pet that you are
uncomfortable leaving in your home during the implosion, please contact Kerry
Dixon-Fox, 294-1016, and accommodations will be provided for the pet.

General liability insurance to cover any unexpected damages that occur as a
result of the demolition activities will be carried by the contractor under the
terms of the contract with the university. We would not expect any special
arrangements to be necessary with respect to your homeowners insurance coverage
but we would encourage you to speak with your insurance professional if you
have concerns.

The goal of our planning for this project is to avoid any unintended damages
and we do not expect to have any. We will be monitoring the demolition very
closely and measuring vibration levels for comparison against recognized
standards. The University and its contractors have an obligation to exercise
reasonable care to avoid harm to others. In the event that you feel that damage
to your property may have occurred, you may have a valid legal claim. Contact
numbers will be made available for you to report this damage. Damage reports
will be investigated and resolved. The State of Iowa has a statutory process
for filing claims against the State. It is a common practice in this industry
to require the contractor to provide insurance as part of his insurance program
to provide coverage for the owner of a project ( in this case ISU) and we
require our contractors to have adequate insurance to cover such events.

Yes, Knapp and Storms Halls are constructed of
reinforced concrete, as are a majority of structures razed by implosion. Each
Tower is equivalent to a twelve-story building, which is considered shorter
than average as it relates to implosion.

The actual implosion will occur in less than 60
seconds. Prior to the implosion, on-site preparation operations will take
several weeks to complete. Explosives will not be brought onto the site until
72 to 84 hours prior to the event, at which time the ISU Department of Public
Safety and City of Ames Police Department will provide site security.
Inspections of the site will be done by the Iowa Fire Marshal's Office and the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.

No more dust will be created by implosion than
would be by conventional demolition (crane/wrecking ball). The advantage to
implosion is that the dust will be created during one specific short-term
event. Therefore, appropriate precautions, such as covering heating and cooling
systems and closing doors/windows, can be employed to protect surrounding areas
from dust. If the two Towers were demolished conventionally, the process would
take much longer to perform and these precautions would not be feasible for
that extended period of time. In this implosion dust will be minimal because
the building materials that are known to create excessive dust (furniture,
masonry, plaster, drywall, wood) will be largely removed prior to implosion.
Dust may linger in the immediate area for 5 to 10 minutes following the
implosion. The extent the dust will travel depends on weather conditions and
wind speed. Given the large vacant area surrounding the Towers, the majority of
the dust will remain on the site.

Materials that could be classified as hazardous
if they became airborne in sufficient quantities are present in many common
building materials. Concentrations of these hazardous materials are very low.
Hazardous materials that may exist in the dust cloud should be far below
concentrations of concern. Some asbestos containing building materials (ACBMs)
were used in the construction of these buildings. As required by law, the
facility was inspected by state licensed personnel to identify ACBMs and work
is ongoing to properly remove these materials from the building. This work is
being performed by a state licensed contractor and will be completed prior to
the building demolition. After completion, the building will again be inspected
by licensed inspectors to ensure complete removal of ACBMs.

An independent third-party engineering
consultant that specializes in air monitoring will measure air quality levels
on the day of the event before, during and after the implosion. These values
will be compared to applicable standards such as the EPA National Ambient Air
Quality Standards to assure that levels remained below those considered
hazardous.

Close all windows and doors prior to implosion to
prevent dust infiltration. If you have windows or doors that are broken or do
not seal properly, you can use a towel or tape to fill all air gaps. Close
outside air intakes and exhaust fans until the dust has been cleaned up. Since
the implosion will be performed during a time of the year when air conditioning
is traditionally utilized it will be necessary to turn off these units. We
anticipate this will take six or fewer hours on the day of the implosion. This
warning is very important for small children and people with respiratory health
issues.

There should be little to no effect upon
plants/landscaping. According to ISU Extension Horticulturists the primary
components of concrete (calcium, silicon, iron, and aluminum) are either
fertilizing compounds in the case of calcium and iron, or will have no effect
upon plants. You may want to simply hose off any foliage but the first rain
will eliminate any residue on the foliage.

The dust clean-up time depends on weather
conditions at the time of the implosion. After workmen have been cleared to
enter the area, dust clean up will. Adequate crews and equipment will be on
site to immediately implement this process. The outermost perimeters will be
cleaned first working inward to the areas that experienced the largest
concentration of dust. This is done so that the largest portion of streets and
residents can return to normal activities as soon as possible. In any case, we
do not expect this exceed six hours.

The implosion will be designed to minimize the
amount of vibration. You may experience a slight vibration, but no damage to
property is expected. The physical feeling of the vibration is difficult to
quantify due to the uniqueness of each project site, soil conditions, and
proximity to adjacent structures. Some describe the feeling is similar to
standing next to a fast moving train or a city bus. We anticipate the debris
impact will cause little or no vibration to your home. An independent
third-party engineering consultant that specializes in seismic monitoring will
measure ground vibration levels on the day of the event to verify the implosion
went as planned. These values will be compared to the U.S. Bureau of Mines
vibration criteria for residential structures.

Implosions are commonly performed with utilities
present directly below the structure being razed without damage. Given the
location and depth of the utilities surrounding the Towers, no damage or
precautionary outages will occur outside of university property.

A pile of rubble approximately 40 feet tall will
remain for each Tower and contained within the site fence. The demolition
contractor will immediately begin to remove the resulting debris. This process
will continue for approximately 5 weeks.

The majority of the demolition debris will be
waste concrete, which the University intends to retain and store for later
crushing into aggregate (gravel) to be used for base material in new driveways,
parking lots, and sidewalks. The remaining demolition debris will be the
property of the contractor who will typically recycle eligible materials, and
then landfill the remaining debris.

While we do not encourage spectators at the
implosion, we know it is inevitable that some people will want to view the
event in person. The public will be allowed to view the implosion a safe
distance away from the site - either to the east or west of the Towers,
depending on weather conditions an dwind. Stay tuned to local media and
check the ISU webs site (www.iastate.edu)
for updates as the implosion date nears. Parking will not be provided for
those wishing to view the event. Parking will be available at the Iowa State
Center lots.

On the morning of the event, streets in the
Campustown area will be restricted. Hayward Avenue will be closed between
Mortensen Road and Knapp Street; Welch Avenue will be closed South of Knapp
Street; Stanton Avenue will be closed South of Baker Street; Lynn Avenue will
be closed South of Baker; and Storm and Donald Streets will be closed West of
Ash Avenue.

We hope this information is helpful to you. If you have additional questions
not addressed in this listing, please feel free to submit your questions
through the project website at www.fpm.iastate.edu/Knapp-Storms or contact
Kerry Dixon-Fox at 294-1014.